James Herman Preble was born in Nyack, NY on April 14, 1954 to Ted and Maytee (Green) Preble; the fourth of six children. They were all raised in Suffern, NY on “The Property”. There the Murphy, Preble, and Walsh children ran free, loving each other like siblings to this day.
As a child the family would come to Oregon to visit his grandparents. After high school graduation, he came to Lincoln City to paint for a summer and his love for the coast grew. He stayed for 52 more years. He was the proud owner of Aardvark painting and counted numerous clients as dear friends.
James met and married Diane Hawks and they were together for 30 years until her death in 2014. He spent the last three years of his life with his partner, Trish Hibler. They shared a love of travel, golf, music, laughing and loving each other.
James was surrounded by numerous dogs, siblings, nieces, nephews and friends who loved him dearly. His humor, kindness and lighthearted nature made him so easy to love.
He passed away on August 16, 2024 after a six week battle with cancer. He was preceded by his parents, his brother Matt, and his wife Diane. He’s survived by Trish and his siblings Ned, Andrew (Alex), Abby (Bill), and Joe (Roisin). Also his stepson, Shay Bachmann.
If you’d like to make a donation in his honor, he suggested contributing to the Lincoln City Food Pantry or Newberg Animal Shelter.
